Gottajustdoit

Sweet! Reaching ONEderland should be a huge celebration. I've been at 198 for about a week now. At my last post-op appointment I was told that the weight loss is like a rollercoaster ride--sometimes you take a drop and other times you just coast along. I guess I'm just coasting! May I ask what you ate at all the restaurants? I have the best luck eating the four-piece grilled chicken bites at Chick-fil-A. They seem to be the right portion size, although I mostly eat only three. They have a good flavor. Other places I've just had shrimp and a few potatoes, eating the shrimp very slowly. The au gratin potatoes are a no-no, but I had a few and am counting the cheese as a wee bit of protein. Would love to hear what successes you had "off the menu."

That sounds like an active weekend! I generally did housework. I am starting to have more pain in my chest when I've been eating lately. That has been making eating much less enjoyable (although I don't really think of eating as enjoyable after surgery, more like necessary). I might have to start taking reflux medication again. I took it prior to gastric bypass but was told that I would no longer need it after about 6 weeks after surgery. I was hoping my GERD would be healed after the bypass. Has anyone else gone off their GERD meds after bypass and found the pain in the chest scenario I'm describing?

Great job! I was at a lost for what to wear to work today. My two black "go-two" skirts were way too big. I have lost 30lbs total--I feel the biggest difference around my waist. I am going to have to go "thrifting" with my daughter (at age 16 that's the thing to do now--to find retro clothes). I just hope I can find a few basics to get me through the next stage. I have decided to wait until I get to my goal weight to put $$$ into clothes.

Recidivist--i had the same thing Friday night. I ate what I thought was normal for me (nothing sweet) and two hours later I was MISERABLE. I got very hot as well and felt like I was having a panic attack. I was also nauseous and started vomiting (or tried to vomit--it was just dry heaving but felt the same). I kept a cold wash cloth on my head to keep the hot sweaty feeling at bay. Since my Feb 13 surgery, this is the only time I've felt like this. At my follow-up appointment I described this feeling to the physician assistant and the nutritionist. Both said that what I ate should not have caused dumping (even though some of the food might be considered high fat--about two small bites each of guacamole, cheese, refried beans, and mashed potatoes), so they thought I might have had a stomach bug. It only lasted an hour (thank goodness) but it was not fun. The seemed to believe that if it was dumping syndrome I would have eaten sweet foods and had diarrhea. I'm not so sure now...it sounds like you and I experienced the same thing. Plus, it would have been the shortest stomach bug every and too soon for food poisoning. I think. If you have a follow-up soon, can you ask your doctor? I'm very curious now.

Great job! I imagine the time change alone going to China would be exhausting (I've been there twice and it's a journey!). Sounds like you are right where you are supposed to be. I had surgery 12 days before you and I'm now eating chili (with ground beef and kidney beans), chicken breast, and bits of other food here and there. I finally can take whole pills without having to crush them (wahoo!). At 6 weeks post op I was advised that it's OK to eated steamed veggies, but to avoid roasted or raw veggies for now. Like you, I lived on eggs and cottage cheese during weeks 5 and 6. I still have two protein shakes a day (one for breakfast and one after dinner).

Has anyone starting experiencing hair loss? I understand it starts 3 to 6 months post surgery, but I was just wondering if anyone had it at this stage.

PLEASE let us know what the answers to those questions were! It’s like you read my mind I had my checkin with my nutritionist and physician assistant today and got some answers to my questions. Regarding my constipation, the thing that has worked best for me are the fiber gummies. I take three of them in the morning and three at night. Twice now I've had success after about 4 days. I still feel a need to push a little, but overall the poops are less rocky and more normal. By far this is the best option for me for some relief. And, the best news is that they were OKed by the NUT and the PA. They said to keep taking them but not to take Benefiber because the fiber can coagulate and sit in the pouch. I was also told today to add vitamin B1 to my diet as well as papaya enzymes for the constant cramping. The B1 can help with constipation and overall general health (more energy, less constipation). If you are having memory loss, B1 also will help. The papaya enzymes were suggested for the gas/cramping and to aid in digestion. I'm going to take both and see if they help. I told my NUT I was not taking my calcium chews given the constipation and she said that i probably am getting enough in my Premier Protein drinks so I should be OK. She also mentioned that the Inulin in these shakes could be causing the cramping, so I may look into a shake that does not contain inulin. I hope others will share feedback they are getting from their follow-up appointments--I think it's good to get as much feedback as we can.

PLEASE let us know what the answers to those questions were! It’s like you read my mind Will do---but I have a feeling my nutrionist will be like "It depends. Every person is different." LoL. In the past she has answered a lot of my questions that way. I am just hoping that everything just evens out at some point and I feel more normal about eating.

Sooooooo true. That was last night. This morning, first thing, I weighed myself again. I'm finally ONEder Woman! Feels ONEderful! I miraculously lost 2 lbs overnight. Scale is forgiven 🙂

You are fine then! I'm sure you are not getting 13 grams of fat from that little bit. Enjoy the soup! Y

From what I can tell from others, the majority of weight loss in the beginning occurs during the first two weeks. Are you actually eating an entire serving of the soup? If you check the nutritional info and it says 13 grams per serving and you are eating much less than a serving (say 1 cup), then you should be fine.

Thanks. I wasn't sure I had that much fat, but maybe I did. It's getting very difficult to figure out what to eat. I also am finding small bites so unsatisfying. You get so much more flavor in a bigger bite--the food tastes better. Eating a little very slowly has turned eating into a chore for me. Tomorrow I see the physician's assistant and nutritionist for a follow-up and will have lots to talk about---constipation (still a big issue), constant cramping in my lower abdomen (never goes away), gas (sooooo much of of it--will it ever end?), and eating vs. drinking my protein (it's so much easier to drink a shake then figuring out how to get enough in small amounts of food).

When you say 'allowed' to have to you mean that your doctor or nutritionist said it's OK to have it? If so, then don't worry too much about the fat content.

Hi Feb Buds, Last night I had a horrible experience. My daughter and I ate at a Mexican restaurant and I ordered a chicken quesadilla. It came with melted cheese on the outside of it, refried beans, pappas (like a mashed potato), guac, and sour cream. I ate only the cheese off the quesadilla dipped in the guacamole and a tiny amount of sour cream. I did not eat the tortilla part. I also had two bites of the refried beans, two small pieces of chicken and two bites of the potatoes. I quit then before I felt the pain in my solar plexis so I didn't overeat. Two hours later I felt extremely flushed, hot and needed to throw up. I only could dry heave. I did that for about a half hour with a cold wash cloth to try to cool down. It was horrible. Is this dumping syndrome? Do you think the melted cheese was too greasy? HORRIBLE feeling.

The scale is a hater. On Tuesday, I took my daughter to Texas to look at four schools. We were go, go, go every day and I averaged almost 14,000 steps a day treking all over college campuses. We just got back from the airport and I weighed myself. Down a measly 2 ounces. Seriously!!!!!!! How can that be? I am so disappointed. My deductive reasoning is telling me that exercise does NOT pay off. Harumph!

Well, it is cold up in the Great White North! And I'm pretty sure you didn't bring anybody down. We are all going through this together!

Dubchild--I feel you. I sat through a dinner with friends last night and the host cooked an awesome dinner. I took a tiny scoop of mashed potatoes (thank goodness she had those as it was the only food that I could eat at this stage) and slowly ate it while others enjoyed the rest of the awesome food, including steak. For dessert they had a 3-layer homemade cake. I drank water while others started with martinis and tasty hors deourves. They had a variety of red wine during dinner and after-dinner drinks. No one made a big deal of it that I was passing on everything, but I was frustrated and bummed. I wanted to enjoy it all! I have to believe, though, as others have said, that it's worth it to know that I have a new chance at being healthy. The pros will FAR outweigh any cons down the road if I can take less insulin, stop the aching in my knees and back, and feel more energetic. It's a process....

Nice! Were you able to eat all that tomato? Do you have any trouble with nuts? I haven't eaten any yet because I'm afraid they will scratch my tiny pouch.

Love, love, love the wedge salad. When do you think our bodies will be able to handle small versions of it?

I completely understand the regrets. Knowing all I know right now, I would probably still have the surgery, but my side effects are not as bad as some of you (thank goodness the Miralax--after 6 doses and 3 days--is working on my horrific constipation, but only in small doses over two days now---gotta stay close to a potty). I had my first mandated-by-my-surgeon of three meetings with the bariatric support group sponsored by my nutritionist. It was a mix of folks who are considering the surgery, those about 9 or less months out, and those who had the surgery in the last couple of months. Much of the talk centered around whether to tell friends and coworkers about the surgery. Tonight we have dinner with a small group of friends where I know the host will have delicious steak and top-notch wine. She always makes the same dinner when we come over because it's my family's favorite (steak, mashed potatoes, buttery brown mushrooms, and asparagus). My brother and his wife will be there, and they know about the surgery, but the host and her husband do not. I will have to just go with it and see what comes out of my mouth when they notice I'm obviously not having cocktails, wine, or steak. I guess I'll find out what I say if asked as I doubt my brother will mention it (although I have not told him NOT to so he might). Someone in the support group said once you tell one person, sooner of later everyone will know so I guess it's just a matter of time. I suppose the most compelling reason for NOT telling folks is because I don't want "having gastric bypass" being associated with my identity....that is, people saying: "Oh, I know her, she's the one who had bariatric surgery." What do y'all think of that? Do you think it becomes true of someone who has had the surgery? Is it a stigma? Thanks.

My sister gave me this recipe and I'm wondering what you think. I made a batch and they are in the refrigerator now. What are you thoughts on the ingredients, particularly the honey. I like that they have oatmeal in it for "roughage" and peanut butter for protein. Wondering, though, if your nutritionists have said to avoid honey. Also, there are small chocolate chips in them. I figure they would be a good nibble snack, but don't want to eat them if anyone in this group thinks they are too high in sugar.

I hope you get the low blood pressure issue resolved! I'm on my 5th dose of Miralex and no go so far. If it works for you, let me know how much you take and what form. I'm OK taking the powder in Vitamin zero orange or lemonade...don't even notice the taste and no grit.

I'm sorry to hear that! I knew something had to be wrong. Will the procedure be something like an endoscopy so you won't have to go through another hospital stay? Or is it a stricture in the esophogus and might it help to be on acid reducers? I'm definitely not a doctor, but I hope that any procedure you have will be minor. I'm sure you are very tired of all the misery. 😥

I took Dulcolax for two days...no outcome except for the horrific cramping and nausea. It just did not do good things for me. I have heard that the vitamins, the calcium citrate, and the iron can cause constipation and I've also read that the protein can cause constipation. Apparently the applesauce, which I've been taking a little of, can also cause it (and I thought it would help). Seems like everything I've been consuming is a constipating agent and with so little actual fiber intake, it's no wonder nothing every comes out. My doctor doesn't want me to take Benefiber as fiber is not good at this stage. At my first post-op my doctor just said to manage constipation with a stool softener. It has been miserable. I've been drinking 48oz of water plus the 22oz of liquid in the protein shakes each day. Maybe my body needs 100 gallons of water a day....*sigh*. This Thursday night is my first support group meeting (my surgeon requires attendance at three of these group meetings after surgery--should be good). I'll ask the group what they think and report back if I get any new info.

This worked before surgery but I've been drinking it for days and, well....nothing. 😞